ter which I received on July 3,
1844, from the sister who gave this donation, together with my letters
for which I had asked her, in order that I may show her state of mind on
the subject, after she had had it more than twenty months before her,
and after she had for sixteen months actually given up the money. She
writes thus: "I am thankful to say that I have never for one moment had
the slightest feeling of regret, but it is _wholly_ of the Lord's
abounding grace. I speak it to his praise."

On March 31, 1843, I called at the Orphan Houses to make certain
arrangements, and one of the sisters told me by the way that she had
been asked by Miss G., who with her father occupied the house No. 4
Wilson Street, to let me know that they wished to give up their house,
if I would like to take it; but she had replied that it was of no use
to tell me about it, for she was sure that I had no thought of opening
another Orphan House. When I came home, this matter greatly occupied my
mind. I could not but ask the Lord again and again whether he would have
me to open another Orphan House, and whether the time was now come that
I should serve him still more extensively in this way. The more I
pondered the matter, the more it appeared to me that this was the hand
of God moving me onwards in this service. The following remarkable
combination of circumstances struck me in particular: 1. There are more
applications made for the admission of orphans, especially of late, than
we are at all able to meet, though we fill the houses as much as the
health of the children and of the laborers will possibly admit. 2. If I
did take another house for orphans, it would be most desirable it should
be in the same street where the other three are, as thus the labor is
less, and in times of great need we are near together for prayer, the
distribution of the money, etc. But since the third Orphan House was
opened, in Nov. 1837, there never has been one of the larger houses in
the street to be let. 3. There are about fifteen children in the Infant
Orphan House, whom it would have been well some time ago to have removed
to the house for the older girls, had there been room; but when a
vacancy happened to occur in that house, there were generally several
waiting to fill it up, so that unintentionally the female children in
the Infant Orphan House remained where they were; but this is not well,
nor is it according to my original intention; for the infants were